Wiping the water from his face, Adrian said, “I was late…
even if it was only by a fraction of a second.”
He looked back at the river.
“This time…
I have to be faster.”
He waited until the same opening appeared again.
“Now!”
He jumped in once more, but the result was no different.
The waves swept over him and threw him back.
The third attempt came, then the fourth, then the fifth.
Every time, he failed before he could get past the waves.
Adrian stood there exhausted, his body growing more drained with every attempt.
He clenched his fist and said, “I’m rushing in before I even think.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and slowly let it out.
“Anger…
won’t make me faster.
It’ll only make me repeat the same mistakes.”
He opened his eyes again.
This time, his gaze was calmer.
He fixed his attention on the river and carefully watched the movement of the waves without letting anything distract him.
One wave…
then another…
and finally, the opening appeared.
Adrian didn’t shout or hesitate.
He moved at exactly the right moment, faster than he had during his previous attempts.
He cut through the water, and before the waves could return, he had made it past them.
For the first time, he found himself in the calmer water beyond the waves.
He had finally made it through.
Adrian continued diving deeper, and a smile slowly spread across his face.
But as the pressure around him began to increase, he suddenly felt something tightening around his chest.
His smile faded as he looked down.
The bottom was still far away.
“No…”
He tried to keep descending, but his lungs began to burn, and he could feel his breath running out.
“Not now…”
“I finally made it past the waves!”
Adrian tried to resist and keep descending, but his body refused to go any farther.
He quickly turned and shot toward the surface, breaking through it with force before drawing a deep breath into his lungs.
He spent a few moments catching his breath, then slammed his fist against the water.
He surfaced again, clenched his fist, and looked down into the depths of the river.
“Then…
I won’t try to hold more air.
I’ll just get faster.”
He jumped in again.
The moment he touched the water, he pushed himself downward with everything he had, but the waves slammed into him and knocked him off course.
Before he could even make it halfway, he was forced to return to the surface.
He emerged gasping for air.
“Faster…
I have to be faster.”
He jumped again, then again, and again.
Hours passed, and the sun began to rise higher in the sky.
Adrian’s body grew more exhausted, and his arms ached with every stroke through the water.
But one thing was changing.
His speed.
His body no longer hesitated beneath the water as it had in the beginning, and his movements had become smoother.
Each attempt was faster than the one before, and every failure pushed him toward a better one.
“Again…”
Adrian jumped.
He cut through the water faster than before, broke past the waves, and dove deeper than he ever had.
Five meters…
Seven…
Ten…
But his air ran out.
He shot toward the surface and emerged, breathing heavily.
Even so, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
“I…
surpassed my previous attempt.”
He didn’t stop.
He jumped in again, then again, until the gaps between his attempts grew shorter.
His body was gradually adapting to the movement, and with every attempt, his motions became faster and more fluid.
As sunset approached, Adrian was floating on the surface of the water.
He raised his head toward the depths, then smiled defiantly.
“I haven’t made it yet…
but I’m much faster than I was this morning.”
At that moment, the sound of quiet footsteps reached his ears from behind.
Valdrin had returned.
He stood at the riverbank, observing the traces of Adrian’s countless attempts across the surface of the water.
Then he said calmly, “You’ve been jumping in the wrong place.”
Adrian frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Valdrin pointed toward a distant spot in the middle of the river.
“The algae only grow in that area…
and the waves are much stronger there.”
Silence fell.
Adrian looked toward the spot Valdrin had pointed to, then turned his gaze back to him.
His expression said everything; he looked like someone using every ounce of self-control to keep himself from punching the person standing in front of him.
He spoke in a low voice, struggling to contain his anger.
“Why…
didn’t you tell me from the beginning that the algae only grow in one place?!”
Valdrin answered in his usual calm tone.
“Because…
you didn’t ask.”
Silence fell again.
Adrian stared at him for several seconds before finally losing the last bit of restraint he had left.
“You did this on purpose!”
Valdrin gave a faint smile.
“Perhaps.”
Adrian’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“You just admitted it that casually?!”
He stepped toward him, pointing at him angrily.
I spent the entire day fighting waves that had nothing to do with the algae!”
Valdrin replied without the slightest concern, “But…
you learned something.”
Adrian stopped.
“What?”
Valdrin answered simply, “To ask first.”
Adrian’s expression hardened, and a faint vein appeared on his forehead.
A strange smile slowly formed on his lips—the kind of smile that suggested he was seriously reconsidering his life choices.
He remained silent for several seconds, as if trying to convince himself that murder…
wasn’t the solution.
Valdrin calmly walked past him and sat down on a nearby rock, placing the bag he was carrying beside him.
He opened it, took out a large piece of grilled meat, and began eating without a care in the world.
As for Adrian, the moment his eyes landed on the food, he swallowed involuntarily.
Valdrin watched him from the corner of his eye.
“Adrian.”
Adrian turned toward him.
“Yes?”
Valdrin handed him the bag.
“Prepare the food.”
Adrian took the bag, and a small smile appeared on his face.
He took out the food and arranged it on a piece of cloth, then sat down and reached for a piece of meat.
Before his hand could reach it, Valdrin struck the back of his hand with a small stick lying beside him.
Adrian quickly pulled his hand back and stared at him in confusion.
Valdrin continued eating as he said, “Who said it was yours?”
Adrian’s hand froze in midair.
Slowly, he raised his eyes toward Valdrin.
“…What?”
Valdrin took another bite and said in the same calm tone, “I said prepare the food.
I didn’t say eat.”
Adrian remained silent, so Valdrin added, “I told you this morning.
You won’t eat until you finish your training.”
Adrian stared at the piece of meat in front of him, then at Valdrin, before taking a long breath and trying to calm himself.
Valdrin gave a faint smile and took another bite.
“By the way…
the meat is especially delicious today.”
He pointed toward the distant spot in the middle of the river.
“Go.
Continue your training at the spot I pointed out.”
Adrian slowly stood up.
He said nothing, giving Valdrin a long look before walking past him while muttering words Valdrin couldn’t make out.
Valdrin didn’t turn toward him and simply continued eating.
Adrian jumped into the water again.
Several minutes passed before he surfaced.
He coughed twice as he caught his breath, then took a deep breath and dove back in.
And Valdrin’s excuse?
“You didn’t ask.” Sometimes, the real enemy isn’t the monster… it’s your teacher.
By the way, I have to admit, I’m a little sad that the novel hasn’t been getting much support lately.
If you’re enjoying Adrian’s journey, please consider adding the novel to your library.
It really helps me know that people are enjoying the story and encourages me to keep going.
And who knows… maybe Adrian will finally get his hands on some energy crystals soon.
Thanks for reading and supporting the story!